Some Game Themes
The Boilermakers return home to face Eastern Michigan for the second time in school history ... With three sacks in two games, All-America candidate Kawann Short looks to continue his hot start .... Antavian Edison will attempt to extend his consecutive games with a reception streak to 24 .... Purdue ranks in the top half of the Big Ten in nearly every statistical category ... Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week Cody Webster is coming off a game in which he saw six of his seven punts fall inside Notre Dame's 20.

This Date in Boilermaker History
The Boilermakers are 2-3 all-time on Sept. 15. On this date in 1973, the Boilermakers knocked off Wisconsin 14-13 thanks to a own-fumble recovery for a touchdown by offensive guard Ralph Perretta ,a nine-yard rush by quarterback Bo Bobrowski and a pair of PATs by kicker Frank Connor. The win was the first of new head coach Alex Agase's at Purdue. The Badgers rallied late with a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:10 to go, but Wisconsin kicker Rick Barrios, after missing on field goal attempts of 30 and 48 yards, did not get a chance to tie the game after a failed exchange on the snap allowed him to punch the kick into his blockers.

Honoring Armstrong
Neil Armstrong, a 1955 graduate of Purdue and the first man to walk on the moon, passed away on Aug. 25, 2012. After head coach Danny Hope shared Armstrong's exploits with the team, 5th-year wide receiver Tommie Thomas requested that the Boilermakers honor one of the most famous Purdue alumni. The Boilermakers have a sticker placed above the American flag on the back of their helmets for the remainder of the season.

Head Coach Danny Hope
Head coach Danny Hope is in his fourth season at the helm of the Boilermaker program and his 10th overall at Purdue. He sports a 52-44 career record, including his first postseason victory in last season's Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit.

Last Week's Quick Hits - Notre Dame
Purdue dropped its fifth straight to the Notre Dame ... The Boilermakers out-rushed the Fighting Irish 90-52 ... The 52 yards allowed on the ground were the fewest by Notre Dame against Purdue since 2007, with it finished with 49 rushing yards ... The Irish averaged only 1.4 yards per carry in the game ... Purdue recorded five sacks ... The Boilermakers converted all three of its fourth down tries, including a 15-yard touchdown with 2:12 remaining to tie the game at 17-17 ... Antavian Edison extended his streak to 23 consecutive games with a reception, finishing with six catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns ... O.J. Ross had five receptions for 73 yards ... Cody Webster punted seven times, placing six of his kicks inside Notre Dame's 20 ... Sam McCartney booted a 33-yard field goal, the first of his career, and also converted on both PAT tries ... Cornerback Josh Johnson finished with a team-high nine tackles, including a career-high-tying eight solo stops, a fumble forced and recovered and a career-high four PBUs ... Johnson's strip and recovery late in the fourth quarter set up Purdue's game-tying touchdown with 2:12 remaining ... Defensive tackle Kawann Short had a pair of sacks amongst his four total tackles ... Defensive end Ryan Russell, linebacker Nnamdi Ezenwa and end Greg Latta all chipped in was a sack apiece. It was the first collegiate sack for Ezenwa and Latta and the second for Russell at Purdue ... Russell also finished with 2.5 tackles for loss.

Big Leg
Punter Cody Webster was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after placing six of his seven punts inside Notre Dame's 20. The junior finished with 303 yards, a 43.3 average, and no touchbacks. Notre Dame's average starting position was its own 26.

Sack Men
A season removed from needing seven games to amass at least seven sacks, the 2012 Boilermakers have reached that total in merely two games, including five against Notre Dame last weekend. Purdue enters the Eastern Michigan game tied for 13th nationally and tied for first in the Big Ten Conference in sacks per game (3.5) ... Purdue's five sacks against the Fighting Irish on Sept. 8, equaled the season highs for each of the last four years. What's even more impressive about that figure is not how many, but whom Purdue has done it against.
Five Sacks in a Game the Last Five Years
2012 - at Notre Dame
2011 - vs. Ohio State
2010 - at Northwestern
2009 - vs. Ohio State and at Michigan
2008 - vs. Central Michigan

Speaking of Sacks
Fifth-year defensive tackle Kawann Short has lived up to the preseason hype. With a sack in the opener against Eastern Kentucky and a pair at Notre Dame last weekend, Short's tally of 3.0 for the year in merely two games is already nearly half of his single season high in his career (6.5 in 2011). Short enters the game against Eastern Michigan tied for lead in sacks per game in the Big Ten Conference and tied for 11th nationally with 1.5. His hot start has pushed him from a tie for 15th on the Purdue career list into sole possession of 11th. Even more impressive is the fact that of the 10 players with more career sacks at Purdue than Short, only Jeff Zgonina (t4th, 29.5-151) and Craig Terrill (7th, 20.5-116) played on the interior of the defensive line. The eight others are listed as defensive ends or linebackers.
Career Sacks at Purdue
8. Jim Schwantz (1988-91) - 18.0-168
9. Ray Edwards (2003-05) - 16.0-125Rob Ninkovich (2004-05) - 16.0-84
11. Kawann Short (2009-Present) - 15.5-77

Kickoff (Return) Where it Left Off
Purdue's kickoff return unit led the nation in average return last season (28.7). The group isn't quite the national leader this season, but if it continues to put up a 30.3 average like it has through the first two games, it will be darn near the top when it's all said and done. Currently the KOR unit is ninth nationally amongst all Football Bowl Subdivision teams and first in the Big Ten Conference. Individually, Raheem Mostert, who was the top FBS return man in 2011, is tied for ninth in the FBs and atop the Big Ten in KOR average (33.3).

Encouraging Numbers
It is still way early in the 2012 season, but in the 17 categories listed by the NCAA for rankings the Boilermakers are in the upper half (sixth or higher) of the Big Ten Conference in 12 of them. Purdue ranks first in the conference in passing offense (285.0), net punting (41.6), sacks per game (3.5) and kickoff return average (33.3), third in scoring defense (13.0), fourth in rushing defense (78.5), pass defense efficiency (107.7), total defense (283.0) and pass efficiency (137.8), fifth in scoring offense (32.5) and tackles for loss per game (7.0) and sixth in total offense (417.5).

Still Breezing Along
Wide receiver Antavian Edison, whose nickname is `Breeze', has caught at least one pass in 23 consecutive games. During the streak, which dates to Oct. 9, 2010, Edison has caught 85 passes for 993 yards and 10 touchdowns. For the year, he is tied with O.J. Ross for the team lead with 13 catches.

Spreading the Wealth
A season removed from seeing 16 different players carry the ball and 13 different players haul in a reception, offensive coordinator Gary Nord continued to distribute the ball all over the field. In the opener against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 1, 10 different rushers had at least one carry, 12 different players caught at least one pass and seven different players scored a touchdown apiece. It marked the first time since 2007 that Purdue had 12 receivers with a catch (Sept. 8 against Eastern Illinois) and seven different players scored (Toledo on Sept. 1)

A Knack For It
All-America candidate Kawann Short blocked an extra point and a field goal in the opener against Eastern Kentucky to bring his career total to six blocks (2 XPs, 4 FGs). Short, who helped Central High School in East Chicago win an Indiana state basketball title his junior season and can still dunk at 315 pounds, needs just one more field goal block to tie the Purdue record currently shared by Rosevelt Colvin and Bobby Iwuchukwu.

Iron Men
The defensive side of the ball has seen tackle Kawann Short and cornerbacks Ricardo Allen and Josh Johnson as a mainstays in the starting lineup. Short has started all 39 games in his Purdue career, while Allen has started 27 consecutive games and Johnson 25.

They're Watching You
Defensive tackle Kawann Short, a preseason All-America pick by Sports Illustrated, has been named to the watch lists for the Lott Trophy, the Bednarik Award, the Outland Trophy, the Nagurski Trophy and the Lombardi Award. A "Big Ten Player to Watch" by the conference's media, Short is 14th all-time in school history in sacks (13.5) and 15th in tackles for loss (34.5).

They're Watching You Too
Cornerback Ricardo Allen was named to the Jim Thorpe Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch lists over the summer. Allen led Purdue with three interceptions in 2011, including one for a touchdown against Minnesota on Oct. 8. He finished fourth for Purdue with 81 total tackles in 2011, including 3.0 for losses, and had seven passes defended ... Joining Allen and Short on the preseason awards circuit was Raheem Mostert. The Football Bowl Subdivision kickoff return average leader as a true freshman in 2011, Mostert was named to the watch list for inaugural Jet Award. Named for Johnny "The Jet" Rogers, the award will be presented to the top return man in the nation.

Depth Along the D-Line
Headlined by All-America candidate at tackle Kawann Short, the defensive line at Purdue is a deep and talented group. Joining Short inside is two-year starters Bruce Gaston and Brandon Taylor, redshirt freshman Michael Rouse III and true freshman Ryan Watson, whom Coach Hope has said great things about recently. At the end positions, Ryan Russell took over the starting spot on one side as a redshirt freshman last season, and has done nothing but improve since. On the other end Robert Maci will bounce from end to outside linebacker this season, which will provide a chance for junior Ryan Isaac (who can also slide inside at tackle), sophomore Jalani Phillips and junior college transfer Greg Latta.

Last Season
In 2011, the Boilermakers returned to the postseason for the first time since 2007 and won the ninth bowl game in school history with a 37-32 victory over Western Michigan in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Last season featured a victory over nationally ranked Illinois, an overtime win against Ohio State, an Old Oaken Bucket triumph over Indiana and the bowl championship.